Community & Volunteers

What to do if a fire breaks out in a super high-rise building?

What should I do if a fire breaks out at a super high-rise residential building like The [email protected] or the Marina Bay Suites?

Super high-rise residential buildings refer to buildings having more than 40 storeys/levels. If a fire breaks out in such a building, extinguish the fire if you could otherwise alert others to the fire and dial 995 to inform SCDF of the fire. Then activate the nearest fire alarm. Instead of heading down to the first floor, you could proceed to the nearest refuge floor. Do so by using the exit stairs; do not use the lifts.

What is a refuge floor?

Refuge floors are special floors that serve as a safe holding area so that residents do not have to travel many floors down to get out of the building in case of a fire. The prevailing Fire Code stipulates that Refuge floors need to be provided at every 20 storeys in a super high-rise residential building. At least 50 per cent of the gross floor area of a refuge floor must be designated as holding area for temporary assembly of occupants during fire emergency. One can identify a refuge floor by a sign "Fire Emergency Holding Area" that is displayed on the wall inside the staircase and immediately outside the staircase at the refuge floor.

As the refuge floors are linked to all blocks of a super high-rise residential building, they are easily accessible to all residents and serve as escape routes for those evacuating from an affected block to the unaffected blocks. SCDF fire-fighters may also mount search, rescue and fire-fighting operations from these refuge floors, which are partially open to the sky for efficient smoke dispersal.

Am I safe at the refuge floor?

Refuge floor is generally a safe place to wait in the course of evacuation. They are naturally ventilated and are made of fire-resistant materials. No commercial activities or residential units are allowed on the refuge floor but it can be used as an exercise area, provided the equipment is non-combustible.

What is a fire lift?

All high-rise buildings above 8 storeys or 24m in habitable height are required to be provided with a fire lift. Super high-rise residential units should have at least two fire lifts. The requirement for super high-rise residential buildings to have 2 fire lifts were incorporated in the Fire Code in 2013.

A fire lift is housed in a protected fire rated enclosure and equipped with an emergency power supply. During a fire emergency, a fire lift is programmed to ‘home’ to the ground floor when a fire alarm is activated. By ‘home’ it means that the fire lift will automatically be grounded and remains stationary at the ground floor. However, unlike normal lifts, the fire lift can be manually operated by the SCDF fire fighters via the fireman switch. The SCDF fire fighters use the fire lift to support fire fighting operation and also to evacuate occupants, especially those with disabilities.

During a fire emergency, should I evacuate by using a fire lift?

In the event of a fire, do not use any lift. You should evacuate via the exit staircases.